Modern radiation techniques for treatment of head and neck cancers

Alongside surgery, radiation therapy remains the mainstay of treatment for head and neck cancers.  Because the head and neck contain a number of critically important structures, it is crucial to try to curtail the adverse effects of radiation therapy by increasing its precision. Such precise radiation techniques include the three-dimensional conformal as well as highly conformal radiotherapy. The latter includes, for instance, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic radiation, and proton-beam therapy. All of the above-mentioned techniques are available in Poland and give the opportunity of a more aggressive treatment that lead to improved outcomes, curtailment of adverse effects, and by that, a better quality of life.